Why I’m Not Sending Everyone a Christmas Card This Year

Don’t know what click bait is? It’s when a title sucks you in to clicking on a link but it really isn’t about what the title led you to believe.

Here’s an example:

TITLE- She Thought She Was Getting a Surprise Visit from Santa But Wait Until You See What Really Happened!

She got a visit from Santa. That’s it. Nothing else really happened.

But you clicked on it because that title sucked you the hell in.

My post isn’t click bait, I swear. Because I am really not sending everyone a card this year.

I have toyed with this idea since last holiday season after spending over 50 dollars on postage, spending a butt-load of time creating a photo card, and feeling empty afterwards.

I remember the first Christmas I sent out cards, I felt like such an adult! It was fun to write about what I had been up to that year. Writing a holiday letter within a Christmas card was fun and something I took time to do each year. I learned from my mom how to do this as she would sit at our kitchen table with her address book, several boxes of cards, and a brand new pen each year. She would turn on a little Nat King Cole and spend hours writing personal letters within each of those cards.

It was a gift of love; sending a little piece of our family in every envelope.

But today we just don’t place value on a handwritten card. We don’t have time. We are so very busy. With all the things we have to do using conveniences that they never had back when they hand wrote every holiday card and envelope.

We have to go shopping! (online)

We have to order those cards! (that are hand-stamped with your name and pre-printed with your return address)

We have to make dinners! (or order them from an online food service that ships them right to your door)

We have so much catching up to do! (on facebook, twitter and instagram)

I made a bold decision a few Sunday’s ago while “listening” to the sermon at church (she wasn’t “listening”).

I am no longer sending Christmas cards to everyone in my address book.

So in Kari fashion, I made a list pro-con list. Here is why I am changing it up this year.

1- I am only sending cards to those who don’t follow me on some sort of social media. For 365 days of the year, my friends on social media see pictures of me, my family, my dog, my house and all sorts of other life stuff. So why do they need a picture of our family to grace their home for 20-ish days of the holiday season only to throw it in the trash come December 26th? If you want to see my family pictures, you can click that big blue F on your smartphone! But for those who do not have social media (or smartphones for that matter), I will be sending them a picture because they most likely haven’t seen how our family has grown.

2- People who aren’t on social media are more likely to appreciate a holiday card with our faces plastered on the front. You can see us any time you want. Aren’t you sick of us yet? See #1.

3-I really don’t want to drop a ton of money at the post office only for it to go into a recycling bin somewhere. I would rather spend that money on my family. Or a massage for mama. What? Raising a family is stressful!

4-Plus we will be saving the environment because less paper! It’s like I am giving the Earth a Christmas present!

5- I want to be my mom. I want to take my time writing letters inside of cards instead of my usual LOVE, US or not even writing anything because it is already pre-printed on the card. This year, I want to turn on some Nat King Cole! Sit at the table with a brand-new pen! Also, I have handwriting like a serial killer, so 10 handwritten cards is much more readable than 60.

6- I write a blog. If you are a friend or family member who has a computer, all you have to do is google A Grace Full Life* and there’s my year in review! Also, I love comments. HINT HINT. Have I mentioned that before? Here is a tutorialif you don’t know how.

*I am usually fourth one down in a Google search. Under all the religious stuff, which is ironic.

7- There are many other things I would rather do than lick 60 plus envelopes and wait in a long line at the post office. Pet my dog, snuggle with my kids, watch a Hallmark movie with my husband, go to my parents house for dinner, meet a friend for coffee, respond to all the comments in my blog inbox, get drunk on Aldi wine while watching Love Actually for the fifth time, pop a hemorrhoid, get a colonoscopy. The list is endless.

8- Our government is icky. I am angry at our government, so rather than give them 50 of my dollars for stamps, I would rather donate that money to a good cause. Like my church’s roof fund. Or a military family separated from a loved one. Or in a giveaway to get one of you to comment on my blog! (Maybe I need to start “listening” to the sermon)

9- You do you. If you are sending everyone in your address book a Christmas card this year, no judgement only love. Here is one of my favorite tutorials on how to create a Christmas card using Pic Monkey. I have used that tutorial to create Christmas cards for the previous four years.

I am going to have SO MUCH MORE time this year which means I might be able to write more blog posts! Which means you are going to be very busy commenting!

2018 is gonna be EPIC.

By the way, did you know that you don’t have to have a blog to comment on my blog?

32 thoughts on “Why I’m Not Sending Everyone a Christmas Card This Year”

I am so with you on this. As much as I enjoy receiving cards from people, it’s just not the same, the photo cards ( sorry, I don’t know what they’re called) started feeling generic. Most of the ones we received last year didn’t even have a handwritten signature on them, which at least made it a little bit personal.

I haven’t sent Christmas cards since 2003. Like you, I initially thought it was a fun, adult thing to do. And then I had a disastrous year and most certainly did NOT want to write notes to all my loved ones about how I was failing at life. And then I just got in the habit of not doing it … and life has gone on. Last year I got photo cards made for a handful of friends who would appreciate a holiday card that featured nothing but a pic of my brand-new refrigerator. But other than that? I have a slight twitch to send cards, but I’m sure it will wear off soon. Thanks for the permission to continue to be a slacker.

Friend, FRIEND! I GET YOU. I went through a divorce in 2003 and I felt very similar. Then I would get annoyed when people who were much more successful in life (ie: could hold together a marriage) were sending cards about their amazing lives. Then Facebook was invented and it was like looking at a holiday letter 365 days a frickin’ year.

Christmas cookies is such a great idea! When I was living in Ohio, my mom and grandma would make cookies and send them with me to deliver to family members all over. At the time I was a teenager and didn’t truly appreciate this gesture. But now I look back at how many of those friends and family members who are gone and I am so glad she made me do this. It was so much more special than a pre-printed card in the mail. Good for you! 🙂

I support this decision. I haven’t done holiday cards for the past few years for several of the reasons above, and because I’m a lazy person. But I might try again this year and if I do, will use that picmonkey idea. So thanks! Enjoy the cards you do. And enjoy the cards you don’t do. Basically just enjoy, joy, joy the heck out of yourself because life is too short and there are hemorrhoids to pop.Amy recently posted…Ho ho hello

I only have 10 cards to send out this year. Ten! This is coming from someone who used to send a card to every single person in my address book. Just like your mom did. I think the photo cards with the stamped messages and names are lame. I miss the good ol’ days with the handwritten cards and if you were lucky, you’d get a photo of the family in the card, too.

I can’t wait to receive the long, thoughtful, hand-written letter from you this year because I don’t need a Christmas card, but you can draw a little candy cane at the bottom of your long, thoughtful, poignantly hand-written letter to me.

Comments always make my day too! I’m sending out Christmas cards this year but not near as many as last year. I’m sending them to family and to people who have actually sent me one in the past. I miss the art of handwritten notes and letters.Terra Heck recently posted…Discount Codes for Gifts and Cards at Minted.com

I didn’t know if I should comment or not (Hah!), but I am with you! I send out way too many cards and don’t get a ton in return and I know it’s not about THAT, but I think it just means that no one besides me and you LOVE to write Christmas cards. So I will take your lead and cut down my list and write a little more in each card (besides Merry Christmas and my name).

I still send cards because it’s a tradition I’m not ready to give up yet; it makes me feel connected to the past. Each year I write a holiday letter that gets enclosed with the cards going to folks who don’t keep up with me on social media, and writing that letter is my favorite part of the ritual. It makes me focus on the past year in a different way.I don’t cut people off my list when I don’t receive a card from them or anything…I’ll be surprised to receive more than 8 or 10 cards this year because so many people aren’t doing it anymore. But it’s okay! I don’t send cards just to get them back.

I love that the letter writing part is your favorite. That is what I love too, even if my handwriting is terrible. (And I get hand cramps sooner because I never write) But I love sitting and thinking about the past year, what we did, what they missed, that is the best part. I am excited this year for the first time to send out cards. 🙂

It’s a nice sentiment, but I haven’t sent Christmas cards in years. I just don’t have time to sit down and write on each one, which is the only way I would send one. I appreciate being sent a card by other people, but I’m always a bit disappointed when all I see is their name at the bottom. No news, no “how are you,” no nothing. My feeling is…please write SOMETHING! I have never sent a typed out Christmas letter, although I had good intentions of doing one b/c I bought special Christmas-y paper. That will probably go out in my next garage sale. LOL. So no, I don’t send them.

We hardly ever send Christmas cards and, these days, everything I need to know is already on Facebook! We plan on sending only 3 or 4 this year and only to those who don’t use social media and who we don’t see often enough. All in all, though, I agree with you!

Well it seems no one is sending them anymore. I stopped years ago. However I love to send those e-cards, they are so much fun. And only to my closest friends who I want to stay in touch with. And how could I possibly not comment after all those hints! 😉 Wishing you a Merry Christmas Kari!

I gave up cards a few years ago in an effort to make the holidays less stress/task oriented, and have never looked back. My mom handled it by selecting winter-themed cards that didn’t specify Christmas, and then sending them during the quieter days of January with new year’s greetings – people really loved getting those. Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!Lynda Hardy recently posted…Awesome Life Friday #140